Australian Zig Zag Railway

[alanturk]

Has anyone successfully installed the Australian Zig Zag Railway into MSTS? If so, how did you do it?

I've downloaded the MSTS version of the route, transferred it to my non-internet-connected XP machine and tried to follow the supplied MSTS installation instructions. The latter are in German with a decidedly odd, not to say somewhat incomprehensible, English translation, but with my limited command of the language I have managed to make some sense of it (I think!). MSTS runs OK on my XP system, but fails to recognise the Zig-Zag route.

The Open Rails version runs OK in W10, except that I can only get it to work properly in Explore Route mode, as all the supplied activities fail in one way or another, typically allowing a train to advance only to a signal that never clears, despite there being nothing ahead. Ideally what I would like to do is to create one or more of my own activities in MSTS AE (XP), which OR will then recognise when copied over to W10. That should work if I can create a new activity, as OR can run existing MSTS activities, including ones I have made for my own fantasy route. I have to use XP for MSTS because it doesn't work in my W10 installation (probably a hardware issue).

Any suggestions would be gratefully received.

[copperpen]

The MSTS route installation file is an exe. The readme on the coalstonewcastle site for this route states
********* You will require all default routes installed in MSTS to install this route *********

This route has been packaged using Route Riter and Install Creator.

Steps:

i) Make sure that you have installed the additional add-ons indicated above, ie Xtracks, New roads, etc.
ii) Download the install file - "zig_zag_railway_msts_v1.exe"
iii) Double click the "zig_zag_railway_msts_v1" file and this will install the new route.
iv) You should be able to run MSTS and see the the route now.

A default activity has been included to make the route visible in Open Rails.


******************** You are required to have the following software installed ********************************************

i) Xtracks 3.20 to run this route - available from http://www.railpage.org.au/steam4me/trainsim

ii) MSTS New Roads, Version 4.0 - Standard Edition by Bruce Bridges, Martyn T. Griffin, Steven Masters - available
from http://www.railpage.org.au/steam4me/trainsim

-------- The following elements are included in the WVR install File -----------

ii) Asphalt Platforms - Graham Pitt - available from UK Train Site website (Included in CTN install file)

iv) Bridge track pieces - Teemu Saukkonen aka Enocell - available from http://www.train-sim.com (enobrgs1.zip) (Included in
CTN install file)

v) Kangaroo hazard - Paul Gausden - available from http://www.railpage.org.au/steam4me/trainsim (Included in CTN install file)

The WVR install file refers to the Wolgan Valley Railway which is also on the same site

[dforrest]

The following is also from the route website:

Note: This route should run in MSTS, but the activities, and rolling stock will only work accurately in Open Rails. The rolling stock may cause errors when running in MSTS.

[peacockg]

I have just downloaded and installed this route from the Coals to Newcastle site, the MSTS only version.
I ran the .exe file as instructed and the route has installed.
It opens in MSTS Route Editor.
Looking at the file structure the obvious thing is there are no folders for Activities, Paths, Services or Traffic.

The 3rd Party ReadMe folder contains information about objects from other providers that have been used in the route. The file install.txt is in German and is from the late Dieter Penzel. If you look at the entries he has provided for the .ref file you will see that most of his objects are listed as D....... .s and you can find 2 of them in the shapes folder DFord1.s and DWellsFargoRoad.s
The good news is that you don't have to do anything from these .txt files.

To run activities you will have to write them yourself and probably create the missing folders or I suspect that MSTS activity editor will refuse to save.

Garry

[dforrest]

I am confused. Looking at my install, nothing is in German.

There are nine activities for download on the same Coals to Newcastle site.

______________
David

[peacockg]

Hi David
Look in the folder "3rd Party ReadMe" at the "install.txt" file
Garry

[dforrest]

Hi David
Look in the folder "3rd Party ReadMe" at the "install.txt" file
Garry

This is a readme for car spawner vehicles. There are German and English versions in "install.txt".

[alanturk]

Thanks everyone for your comments.

Copperpen:
- I have already installed all the default MSTS routes.
- I have downloaded and installed Xtracks.
- I ran up against a problem with New Roads. I have found a number of adverse reports, saying that it harbours malware. I downloaded it and checked it with Kaspersky, which supported that view, so I feel unhappy about installing it. On the other hand, others have evidently done so without problems. I would appreciate any comments on that. If it is unsafe to use, then I guess I can forget about using the Zig Zag Railway with MSTS.
- I have downloaded and installed zig_zag_railway_msts_v1
- The route appears in the ROUTES folder, but does not show up in the list of routes when I start MSTS, only the default ones.
- As regards the items you mention as being included in the CTN file, does that mean I don’t need to do anything else about them, once installed?
- You also refer to the WVR install file. Does that mean I need to install the WVR route as well? It doesn’t seems likely to me, but maybe …..

Dforrest:
- Your comment about activities and rolling stock only working properly in OR – I understand that. Thanks.
- The German text I mentioned in my first post is indeed in “install.txt”, but I found the English version to be very poor, almost incomprehensible. Some of the English text is not a translation, but added information that is not present in the German. However, I think I have understood it, and in any case it seems I only need to make use of it if I want to use the new features in a new route, which I have no plans to do.

Peacockg:
- Interesting that you had success installing the route. What OS are you using? I am trying to get it to work in XP, as MSTS isn’t working properly (or at all) in W10, which I attribute to a hardware issue in my system.
- I found that the missing folders you mention are present after installing from the .exe file. Activities, Services and Traffic each contain a dummy file named “dummy file.txt”, but Paths contains 6 path files. We’re clearly doing things differently!
- Thanks for confirming my suspicion that I don’t need to do anything with the .txt file entries.
- Creating activities for MSTS is precisely what I want to do – if ever I get the route installed properly.

[peacockg]

Hi Alan
I am running under Windows 10, I am fairly happy with it except for the annoying habit is has of using all my broadband to update things I have no intention of ever using.
The exe file I used was
zig_zag_railway_msts_v1.exe 65,512kB
obtained from
http://www.zigzag.coalstonewcastle.com. ... loads/#001
Garry

[BrianB]

Hi guys,

I will try to put this dilemma to bed !

Firstly, Peter Newell rarely visits these forums, so will not read about these so-called problems. As the co-author of the route, I will set out the correct situation.

There are TWO versions of Zig Zag - the full version and the route only version.

The full version with stock and activities ONLY WORKS IN OPEN RAILS - trying to run this in MSTS WILL FAIL - FULL STOP.

The route only version will run in MSTS, BUT you will have to download and install suitable MSTS rolling stock and make your own MSTS activities for the route.

The route will NOT appear in the installed MSTS routes list until YOU MAKE at least one basic activity with MSTS rolling stock.

If you are trying to run the route in MSTS only - DO NOT download the custom Zig Zag rolling stock as the locomotives are setup to run ONLY in Open Rails - they will NOT work in MSTS. There are enough NSWGR rolling stock and locos available from several websites, CTN, Short North and steam4me - although they are not in the correct period (1905) for this route.

As Peter and I build any future NSWGR routes, they will generally be for Open Rails ONLY - unfortunately MSTS has had its day, and the new extended features of Open Rails are more attractive to us as route and stock builders, although for the moment we still use MSTS Route Editor to build the route itself. My next batch of NSWGR locos are a set of six P (C32) class locos but these have been setup for OR ONLY. In fact Peter is now one of the main developers for Open rails and has put in a fantastic amount of work in getting the correct steam physics into the program.

I noted one comment above, about sitting at red signals and getting no further - this is CORRECT - the nature of the single track route with long distances between passing loops and the traffic patterns at the time (1905) meant that drivers often had to sit for anything up to half an hour before the opposing train on the single line arrived at the passing loop before you can continue on with your run. So yes, you will have to sit for a while, but the signals will eventually clear, and you can complete the activity. Other activities use the new 'extended AI shunting' feature in Open Rails.

Note that ALL Zig Zag Activities for download from the CTN Zig Zag page use specific Open Rails advanced features and will FAIL to run in MSTS.

Hoping this clears up any confusion regarding the Zig Zag route.

Finally, both Peter and I are Australian - there is no German instructions in the route, except for a minor text reference to a couple of the late Dieter Penzel's period road vehicles

Regards, Brian Bere-Streeter,
co-author of the NSWGR Zig Zag route.

[alanturk]

Brian, many thanks indeed for your comprehensive comments. I now feel confident enough to try again, though I am otherwise occupied for a while. I hope to report back in due course.
Alan.